Kazekage is...

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Fugaku recognized that Rasa wasn't the sole adversary he had to confront. He was well aware that tapping into the power of the eight inner gates would render him vulnerable to immobilization, the agonizing pain of strained muscles, and significant blood loss.

Gritting his teeth, he bore the pain, having undergone this ordeal before and understanding that the healing process would be slow and excruciating.

Meanwhile, Rasa had mastery his skills with golden sand, seamlessly integrating them into both offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Fugaku pondered whether Rasa would escalate matters by unveiling his ultimate ninjutsu—one capable of triggering natural disasters. Yet, surrounded by a multitude of sand ninjas, such a move seemed improbable.

Realizing that the night's raid was destined to be an uphill battle, Fugaku also kept in mind Orochimaru's continued observation from a distance.

Fugaku deftly evaded the shurikens and sand spears with the assistance of his Sharingan, calling out to Orochimaru in the midst of the chaos.

"Hey, Orochimaru, are you just going to watch the show?" he shouted, hoping to divert the attention of the Suna Shinobi toward the snake-like man. Swiftly moving away from the crowd, Fugaku formed a hand seal, not expecting Orochimaru to aid him but intending to buy some time.

"The fifth gate: Gate of Limit, open!"

He covertly used the forbidden technique, unlocking five of the eight inner gates. A surge of chakra and newfound strength coursed through his body, accompanied by a green aura that wrapped around him.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the glowing figure in front of them.

"What is this power?" Rasa questioned sharply, his gaze fixating on Fugaku with a mix of awe and foreboding.

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"Shouldn't we help Fugaku-sama?" Choza asked Shikaku, panting, after defeating a dozen pursuers. In the distance, Fugaku continued holding off the remaining enemies.

Shikaku pondered for a moment before responding. "Fugaku-sama is strong enough to escape on his own. If we go back, we might only drag him down."

He couldn't deny that Fugaku's skill had played a crucial role in breaking them free from the encirclement.

He couldn't deny that Fugaku's skill played a crucial role in breaking them free from the encirclement.

"Shikaku is right. Let's go!" Inoichi agreed, catching his breath.

Remaining in land of the wind territory, their current location posed a risk of encountering more enemies if they lingered. Without further delay, the three of them picked up their pace and made a run towards the Konoha camp.

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Orochimaru, maintaining a vigilant stance from a secure vantage point, exhibited no signs of intervening. Despite his concealment being sufficient to evade enemy detection, several sand ninjas who inadvertently approached too close suffered fatal consequences.

Lifeless forms lay scattered in the vicinity, bearing witness to the grim aftermath of Orochimaru's actions.

Fugaku's movements were swift and almost effortless as he opened the five gates. Despite the barrage of shurikens and kunais thrown his way, he dodged them with remarkable ease.

With a punch, he shattered the sand shield Rasa had created for protection. However, Fugaku couldn't seem to reach Rasa himself.

Unbeknownst to the sand ninjas, Fugaku was only testing Rasa's defense. He had three clones that were wreaking widespread havoc with their impressive ninjutsu skills.

"Lighting Style: Chidori Stream!"

"Lighting Style: Chidori Senbon!"

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

Electrocution, piercing, and burning ensued with each jutsu combination.

Fugaku fought single-handedly against the sand ninjas, regretting the inability to fully utilize his skills in the arid landscape.

If he were in a different location, he could summon a thunderstorm with his lightning style or even create a deathly forest with his wood style. But in the Suna Camp territory, he had to make do with his given environment.

Fugaku had initially underestimated the sand ninjas and chosen to confront them, thinking they were weak. However, he was soon proven wrong as he faced Rasa and his sand gold. At that moment, Fugaku realized that he had not only underestimated the sand ninjas, but he was also wrong to assume that he could handle them alone.

As he stood there fighting, Fugaku could feel his attacks were not enough to break through their defenses.

Rasa was sweating as he watched his men fall one by one. He couldn't believe how strong the enemy was.

Meanwhile, Rasa could only watch in dismay as each of his men fell one by one. The enemy had three clones with only a fraction of the original's chakra, which they used with seemingly tail-beast chakra reserves. Rasa was in great peril. The enemy was simply too fast and too strong.

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Rasa gasped as a fist hurtled towards him. He had no time to dodge and, using his sand, attempted to block the punch.

However, the punch proved too potent, breaking through the sand and striking Rasa in the stomach. Coughing up blood, he felt a sharp pain.

"Kazekage-sama!" A sand ninja shouted in shock.

"How can he be so strong?" another questioned.

"Stop him!!"

The sand ninjas rushed to protect Rasa from the enemy, attempting to block his way with their bodies.

Despite their efforts, the enemy was swift and powerful, easily knocking them aside. The gaze remained locked on Rasa, being carried away by his men.

 "What a pity. But it's useless. You're all going to die!"

Determined to end the war by killing the Kazekage, he dashed towards Rasa again, leaving a trail of afterimages behind. But more and more sand ninjas sacrificed themselves to stop him.

He kicked two more aside, but saw that Rasa had managed to escape too far.

He realized that his plan was unrealistic and that capturing the Kazekage If only he could fly, maybe...like Deidara did.

He had no reason to stay here and kill more sand ninjas. It would not help his Uchiha revival plan.

Deciding to retreat, he dispersed his three clones and created some distance from the remaining enemies. They trembled in fear of him.

He smiled. "If you don't want to die, defend yourself! Fire Style: Fire Annihilation Jutsu!"

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Today Bi-annual Ranking = 36th

Give me stone, and I'll give you bonus chapters. How does that sound?

 1. Achive 20th rank on bi-annual =+1 bonus chapter on friday

2. Achive 10th rank on bi-annual =+2 bonus chapter on friday

3. Achive 5th rank on bi-annual = +3 bonus chapter on friday